Bearing



Feb. 2, 1965 A. BUSKE 3,168,358

BEARING Filed Dec. 18, 1962 Fig 2 W s.min

F \n/ T M Jnvemor:

19L FKED BUS/(5 W W M 3,168,358 Patented Feb. 2, 1965 3,168,358 BEARING Aifred Buske, Necirarsuhn, Wurttemherg, Germany, assignor to Karl ci1rnidt G.m.h.H., Necharsulm, Wurtteinberg, Germany, a German corporation Filed Dec. 18, 1962, Ser. No. 245,595 Claims priority, application Germany Dec. 27, 1961 5 Claims. (Cl. 308-37) This invention relates to sliding bearings having a noncircular bore. Bearings of this type are known in the art as oval bearings. They have in their journal clearance two diametrically opposite restrictions, i.e., the distance between the cylindrical journal and the non-cylindrical friction surface of the bearing varies continuously between maximum and minimum values around the periphery, assuming that the journal lies concentrically in the hearing.

A line connecting the two diametrically opposite restrictions in the journal clearance is a vertical in the types of bearings that have become known thus far, i.e., it coincides with the direction of the main load on the bearing. It is also prior art to orientate the line connecting the restrictions in the horizontal position.

On the basis of practical experiments it has now been discovered by the inventor that journal bearings of the type described above operate more reliably, can be loaded more heavily and produce lower operating temperatures if the two restrictions in the bearing clearance located diametrically opposite one another in the hearing are orientated so that they do not coincide with the direction of the main load or be perpendicular thereto, but so as to be tilted in the direction of rotation of the journal by an angle 'y of 8-60 preferably 30, away from the main load direction. It is advantageous to make the size of angle 7 proportional to the rotatory speed, i.e., to use small 7 angles for low speeds and large 7 angles for high speeds, for the same bearing load. The higher the bearing load is, the smaller the 7 angle should be.

Thus, according to the invention, there is provided an assembly comprising a shaft and sliding bearing therefor and in slide bearing engagement therewith, the bearing being in said bearing engagement at two diametrically opposed spaced loci about the shaft circumference. A line through the spaced diametrically opposed loci is offset from a line in the direction of the center of load on the shaft by an angle of 8-60, and preferably 1030. The offset is in the direction of rotation of the shaft.

The bearing, according to the invention, can be an oval hearing such as an elliptical bearing suitably offset to the load direction to provide the desired angle. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, however, the bearing comprises two bearing halves each having a recess with a slide bearing surface extending therethrough, and said surfaces are circular arcs in form. The circular arcs are less than semicircles in arcuate length. The bearing halves are laid up with are end peripheral portions thereof in abutting relation and with adjacent arc ends offset to provide a bearing bore for receiving a circular shaft in hearing engagement at two diametrically spaced loci about the shaft circumference in the manner that a line through the spaced diametrically opposed loci is inclined to a line through the planes of abutment of the bearing halves. In this embodiment of a bearing, according to the invention, the outer surface of each bearing half can be a semicircular arc in form and the semicircular arcs can be mated to define a circular form for the outer surface of the hearing. This form of the bearing of the invention is wellsuited for receipt in a bearing housing.

The invention is further described with reference to the drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a sliding bearing having a generally ellipsoidal form; and FIG. 2 represents a sliding bearing the body of which is made up of two bearing halves having circular inner and outer arcs.

In the drawing, like reference characters refer to corresponding parts.

The sliding bearing of FIG. 1 consists of two housing parts G1 and G-2 with a cylindrical bore for receiving the one piece bearing body B. The latter has a friction surface L of approximately elliptical shape, and which is so disposed in the bearing that its axis a is divergent from the direction of the bearing load P on the shaft and through the center thereof. Accordingly, axis b of the ellipse is divergent by the same angle from the horizontal line of the bearing. Axis a of the ellipse intersects hearing body B at its thickest points W. From these points the thickness of the bearing body decreases continuously in both peripheral directions as far as the points of intersection with the axis b of the ellipse. At these points the thickness of the bearing body B has the value W U indicates the direction of rotation of the journal Z whose radius is designated as r. R indicates the radii of the bearing areas of friction surface L. The centers M of the circles with the radius R are located opposite one another on axis a of the ellipse, at equal distances from the center of the hearing.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 the sliding bearing comprises two bearing halves and the bearing surfaces of each half is a circular arc in form and is less than a semicircle in arcuate length. The bearing halves are laid up with are end peripheral portions thereof in abutting relation and with adjacent arc ends offset. In this manner, a bearing here is provided which operates in the manner of an oval bearing bore. For the bearing shown in FIG. 2, there are two housing parts G4 and G2 with cylindrical bore F to receive two bearing shells H-1 and H-2. The center N of bore F coincides with the parting line of the housing. The horizontal division T of the housing halves 6-1 and G2 coincides with that of the bearing shells H-1 and 1-1-2.

The difference between the embodiment in FIG. 2 and the one in FIG. 1 consists only in the horizontal division of the bearing, creating two shells H-1 and H-2 Whose inner edges, though parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bearing, are offset from one another horizontally, the friction surfaces L having the uniform radii R. In this embodiment, too, the two diametrically opposite restrictions S are offset in direction U away from the principal load plane P by the angle 7.

In the bearings made according to the invention, the position of the narrowest bearing clearance S will be a position within the range specified, wherein the line connecting the restrictions in the journal clearance is tilted about the center point of the journal by an angle of 8-60", preferably l0-30, from the line of the main loading of the bearing. Small 'y angles are to be used for low rotatory speeds and large angles for high rotatory speeds for the same amount of bearing load. In the case of high bearing loads, small 7 angles are preferable.

The journal is held very closely in the bearing and consequently can perform only much smaller movements than in a journal bearing with a cylindrical bore. At the same time, the shape of the tapered lubricating gap can be varied within wide limits by selecting the radius of curvature R of the friction surface at the loci of bearing engagement in proportion to the journal radius r, thus achieving the most favorable conditions for the lubrication of the bearing in relation to load and speed. It has been determined by experiments with the bearings of the invention that performance is best when the ratio V 3 is from 0.8 1O- to 6X l and preferably from 10 to 2.5 X 10- Also the position of the narrowest lubrication gap that is produced in operation is largely dependent upon the position of the smallest diameter, and is substantially pre-' Bearing load P=1600 kp.

Journal diameter d=50 mm. Bearing width B=50 mm.

Bearing width journal ratio B/d=1 Specific bearing burden flzxB 25 Number of revolutions n=500 rpm. Angle speed Viscosity of lubricating oil atoperation temperature 1 :15

centipoise: 15.3 X 16- kp. X s m.

' If for the lubricating Wedge forms the ratio then at the comparatively low r.p.m. of 500, an angle y of 15-20 degree is recommended. The angle can be roughly determined from the above figures and the Sommerfeld number So applying for the journal bearing.

Sommerfeld number From this it follows according to Sassenfeld and Wal-.

ter, Gleitlagerberechnungen, VDI Forschungshelf No. 4.4], page 17, tables of FIGS. 5 and 9 and also according to Vogelpohl, Betriebssichere Gleitlager, Springer Verlag, 1958, page 67, tables of FIG. 3.2, and page 1, FIG. 3.5, for a bearing with the width-ratio B/d=1, the location of the journal center in the bearing bore as relative eccentricity is 6 r x 0.90 and the location of the narrowest lubricating slit is at the angle :17".

Example 2 If the conditions in Example 1 are modified to make the lubricating wedge more pointed, for instance, with the ratio then the Sommerfeld number is S0=8 and at the width ratio B/d=1, the. relative eccentricity is =0.9, with the position of the narrow point in the bearing at the angle of about y=25 angle degree.

Example 3 In this example the following conditions obtain: Bearing load P=500 kp.

Number ofrevolutions n=6000 r.p.m., w=628 l/s Viscosity of the lubricating oil at operation temperature 1;;10 centipose=10.2 10 kp. s./m.

Journal d=80 mm.

Bearing width B=40 mm.

Bearing width journal ratio B/d=0.5

Specific bearing burden Here the lubricating wedge form ,0 is

The Sommerfeld number is For the bearing width ratio B/d=0.5 the relative eccentricity =0.78, and the angle 'y for the narrow point in the bearing is 'y==32*.

v V Example'4 If in Example 3 the lubricating wedge form is changed to so that the Wedge is more pointed, then the Sommerfeld number S0=0.57 and with the width ratio B/d=0.5 the relative eccentricity is 0.63 and the angle for the narrow point in the bearing is about :43".

While the invention has been described with respect to particular embodiments thereof, various changes and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art, and it is desired to secure by these letters patent all such modifications as are within the scope ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly comprising a shaft and a sliding bearing therefor and in slide bearing engagement therewith,

the bearing being in said bearing engagement at two diametrically opposed spaced loci about the shaft circumference, a line through said spaced diametrically opposed loci being offset from a line in the direction of the center of load on the shaft by an angle of about 8-60, the offset being in the direction of. rotation of the shaft.

2. An assembly according to claim being about 10-30".

3. A slide bearing comprising two bearing halves each being a recess with a slide bearing surface extending therethrough, said, surfaces being circular arcs in form and less than semicircles in arcuate length, said bearing halves being laid up with are end peripheral portions thereof in abutting relation and adjacent arc ends oifset to provide a bearing bore for receiving a circular shaft in bearing engagement at two diametrically spaced loci about the shaft circumference, a line through said spaced diametrically opposed loci being inclined to a line through the planes of abutment of the bearing halves.

4. A slide bearing according to claim 3, the outer surface of each bearing half being a semicircular arc in form, said semicular arcs meeting to define 'a circular form.

5. A bearing assembly according to claim 4, and comprising a housing for said bearing.

1, the said angle Sternlicht Aug. 25, 1959 McKenney Dec. 25, 1962 

1. AN ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A SHAFT AND A SLIDING BEARING THEREOF AND IN SLIDE BEARING ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH THE BEARING BEING IN SAID BEARING ENGAGEMENT AT TWO DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED SPACED LOCI ABOUT THE SHAFT CIRCUMFERENCE, A LINE THROUGH SAID SPACED DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSEED LOCI BEING OFFSET FROM A LINE IN THE DIRECTION OF THE CENTER OF LOAD ON THE SHAFT BY AN ANGLE OF ABOUT 8-60*, THE OFFSET BEING IN THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION OF THE SHAFT. 